Atlanta Braves beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-0 on special night

June 29th, 2013by Associated Press in Sports - Professional

Arizona Diamondbacks' Aaron Hill tries to run out a ground ball but is out at first base in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves on Friday, June 28, 2013, in Atlanta. The Braves beat the Diamondbacks 3-0.

Photo by
Associated Press/Times Free Press.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, right, watches a baseball game between the Atlanta Braves and the Arizona Diamondbacks with wife Rosalynn, left, Friday in Atlanta.

The Braves went up 1-0 in the first when Jason Heyward doubled and scored from second on Justin Upton's RBI single. Diamondbacks starter Randall Delgado avoided further damage with two runners in scoring position by striking out Dan Uggla.

Teheran stranded runners in scoring position in the first with strikeouts of Paul Goldschmidt and Miguel Montero and in the third with a strikeout of Gerardo Parra and Aaron Hill's groundout.

Teheran, whose night ended when Tyler Pastornicky pinch-hit for him in the bottom of the sixth, has a 0.98 ERA in winning two of his last three starts.

Luis Avilan, the second Atlanta pitcher, threw five straight balls before Jason Kubel hit into a forceout and Cody Ross grounded into a double play.

Avilan retired the four batters he faced before Jordan Walden got the last two outs of the eighth.

Delgado (0-2) gave up eight hits, two runs and three walks. He struck out three and threw 64 of 106 pitches for strikes.

Delgado, whom Atlanta dealt with Martin Prado to Arizona in the trade that brought Justin Upton and Chris Johnson to the Braves in January, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fourth when Teheran grounded into a double play.

Atlanta made it 2-0 in the fifth when Simmons' sixth homer landed in the left-field seats.

Parra, Goldschmidt, Montero, Jason Kubel and Ross were a combined 0-for-16 with two walks and 10 strikeouts.

Zeke Spruill, the fourth Arizona pitcher, gave up a leadoff triple to Dan Uggla, who scored on pinch-hitter Reed Johnson's pinch-hit RBI bunt single to give the Braves a 3-0 lead.